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Trudeau to visit Vimy Ridge, Paris to mark WWI anniversary

Some 60,000 Canadians died, 172,000 injured during First World War between 1914 and 1918
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses supporters during a Liberal Party fundraiser in West Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday November 1, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will join world leaders in France this weekend to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

Trudeau’s office says the prime minister will visit the Canadian National Vimy Ridge Memorial in northern France on Saturday before attending Armistice Day ceremonies in Paris on Sunday to mark the end of the “war to end all wars.”

More than 60 leaders are to take part in the commemoration, including French President Emmanuel Macron, U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

During the three-day visit to France, Trudeau will also attend the Paris Peace Forum, a new initiative modeled after the Paris climate-accord meetings three years ago, and speak at a summit exploring ways to use technology to improve public services.

The Prime Minister’s Office says Trudeau will also have a one-on-one meeting with Macron.

READ MORE: The Guns of 1917 – Fruits of Sacrifice

Some 60,000 Canadians died and 172,000 were injured during the First World War between 1914 and 1918.

About 10,500 of those deaths happened at Vimy Ridge as Canadian troops captured the strategically important spot from the Germans.

The Canadian Press

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